Civil Liberties

Jose Clemente Orozco, The Clowns of War Arguing in Hell

There is no reasoning with those who will to confiscate law-abiding citizens’ guns.

By Justin Katz | June 16, 2022 |

The idea of “reasonable” and “common sense” gun control laws is becoming an obvious sham.  Reasonable people acting according to common sense differentiate between policies in different states and balance facts such as how frequently a particular type of weapon has been used in crimes in the state where gun-control legislation is proposed and what…

The End on a white brick wall

Politics This Week with John DePetro: RI’s End Approaches?

By Justin Katz | June 13, 2022 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz discuss the discouraging news in RI and the solution.

A masked figure shushes silence

Redefined “tolerance” in Foster-Glocester is the marker of civil rights lost.

By Justin Katz | June 13, 2022 |

The totalitarian Communist language of administrators in the Foster-Glocester school district is reason for concern about the direction in which our country is headed: Several students at Ponaganset High School brought “anti-tolerant” flags to school following a celebration of Pride Month. In an emailed statement to The Journal, district leaders said there had been an…

An escalator

Politics This Week with John DePetro: Gunning for Power and Your Children

By Justin Katz | June 6, 2022 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz go over the news of the week in Rhode Island politics.

A handgun, bullets, and target

Dealing with Threats to Our Bodies and Our Rights

By John Loughlin | June 4, 2022 |

John Loughlin speaks with Dr. Tim Shafman about cancer and Glenn Valentine of the RI Firearm Owners League about the prospect (and legality) of proposed gun regulation

Van Gough's Prisoners Exercising

The gun-controllers’ dehumanizing talking point proves the importance of the Second Amendment.

By Justin Katz | June 4, 2022 |

The day of the school shooting in Ulvade, Joe Biden took to his national platform to blame people who disagree him about the Second Amendment and the practical steps to stop mass shootings: “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” That talking point has filtered down throughout the…

A joint in a dirty hand.

As with guns, the culture is important to consider when it comes to marijuana.

By Justin Katz | June 1, 2022 |

The issues of gun regulation and marijuana legalization have an interesting overlap, even as they head in opposite directions. To increase regulation of the former, advocates insist that we focus on the implements used for harm (the guns) and eschew — sometimes with great vehemence and insult to those who disagree — the notion that…

Image of Police Line tape.

Ulvade exposed a contradiction in our policy compromises around gun regulation.

By Justin Katz | June 1, 2022 |

Policy arguments driven by emotion will often have incoherent gaps in their logic, and the Ulvade shooting exposes a big one. Emotional people tend to focus on the most-dramatic element in a scene, which in this case is the shooter, and the solution appears to them to be removal of the gun.  The problem is…

Water glass on beige table

Politics This Week with John DePetro: The Beigeness of RI Politicians

By Justin Katz | May 9, 2022 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the gubernatorial “forum” and abortion politics.

Mother touching baby's hand

No issue is as revealing as abortion.

By Justin Katz | May 3, 2022 |

As a conservative writer in Rhode Island, I find it difficult to know where to begin a reaction to the apparent, likely, or maybe only as-yet possible decision of the United States Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade this session. The place to start, I suppose, is with the biggest and most-obvious point.  Unless our…